A.
Stumps
Hill 
From
Stumps Hill Lane there is an excellent view across to Crystal
Palace. It is also worth a slight detour to the junction of Southend
Road and Brackley Road to see a very rare Edward VIII pillar box
made at Carron Ironworks. Edward VIII reigned for only 10 months
before abdicating.
B.
St. Paul's Church
St.
Paul’s was built as the Cator Estate church and originally
stood in open country, with the nearest houses over 150 yards
away. The first houses in the area were built in the early 1860s.
The occupants were very wealthy and included many admirals, generals
and knights.
C.
Copers Cope Road
One
of the largest farms on the Cator Estate was Copers Cope Farm;
it covered 250 acres. The origins of the name are obscure but
it may be derived from Cooper’s Copse. The names of the fields
on the farm were enshrined in road names when the Cator Estate
was being developed: Park, Lawn, Brackley and Worsley were all
field names.
D.
Mid Kent Line
The
first station at New Beckenham was built in 1864 further south
- the original site can still be seen. There is a small cottage
beside the track which is now used as railwaymen’s accommodation
and the remains of the platform can also be discerned. The present
station was opened in 1904.
E.
New Beckenham Sports Ground
Many
of the major banks and financial institutions have their sports
grounds here. Most of the sports grounds which are now so familiar
a part of the area were laid out from 1900 to 1910.
F.
Cator Park
Originally
a private land on the Cator Estate, it was opened to the public
in 1932. The Pool River flows northwards through the park eventually
joining the River Ravensbourne at Catford. This area, together
with much of the rest of South London, suffered bombing during
the Second World War. The house on the corner of Kings Hall Road
and Aldersmead Road was the only one of a pair of semi-detached
houses to survive.
G.
Kent House Farm
The
area derives its name from a 178 acre farm, close to the old boundary
between Kent and Surrey. The farmhouse which stood to the right
of Kent House Road near Beckett Walk dated back to 1240, but was
demolished in the 1950s.
H.
Alexandra Recreation Ground
This
Victorian suburban Recreation Ground was named after Queen Alexandra,
King Edward VII’s wife, and was opened to the public in 1891.
I.
Penge Almshouses
The
King William IV Naval Asylum founded in 1847 was paid for by Queen
Adelaide to provide accommodation for widows of naval officers.
The Asylum is in a Tudor style which was popular at the time.
J.
Railway Bridges
The
first bridge carries one of the oldest railway lines in London,
the London and Croydon Railway which opened in 1839. In its early
days, the railway was operated by the then fashionable but short
lived system of atmospheric traction, whereby air was exhausted
from a continuous pipe between the rails by pumping engines at
intervals which pushed trains along at considerable speed. The
second bridge carries the line from Sydenham to Crystal Palace
(low level) station and opened in 1854.
Click to see panoramic views of Crystal Palace http://www.bbc.co.uk/london/yourlondon/crystal_palace/virtual_tours.shtml,
Good
tip: Hold dark sunglasses to your right eye only and see the revolving
images in 3-D
K.
Crystal Palace Park
The
World’s first truly International Trade Fair was opened at
Hyde Park in 1851. The temporary building, built entirely of glass
and cast iron, was soon dubbed ‘The Crystal Palace’.
After moving to Penge Place in 1854 the extended building was
set amongst 200 acres of landscaped grounds. In 1936 the Palace
was destroyed by fire. The prehistoric monsters were built in
1853 under the guidance of Professor Richard Owen, who invented
the word ‘Dinosaur’.
More information
can be found in the ‘Crystal Palace Park Heritage and Nature
Trail’ and ‘Tree Trail’ booklets available from
the Park information centre and Bromley Council libraries and
information points. Click here
for more details.
Select
an area 1 - 10 for an overview of that section on the Green Chain
Walk
Points of interest
